FOLLOWING UP

By Joseph P. Fried

Published: January 23, 2005

His persona as ''the singing cop'' rocketed him to national celebrity, but now Daniel Rodriguez is striving to have his rich tenor voice carry him through a career of broader musical accomplishment.

Besides, he is no longer a police officer.

Mr. Rodriguez was already a trained singer when he joined the New York City police force at the age of 30 in 1994, ''to pay the bills,'' he has said. Aside from duties like dealing with domestic violence, he sang the national anthem and ''God Bless America'' at Police Department and municipal ceremonies and sang a wide repertory in private engagements while off duty.

But his passionate performance at a nationally televised memorial service for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack two weeks after it occurred brought him wide notice. Appearances on network television followed, along with training in the young artist program of the Washington National Opera at the invitation of Placido Domingo, the company's general director.

Mr. Rodriguez took a leave of absence from the Police Department in early 2002 to pursue singing opportunities. He recorded an album of songs that included ''Ave Maria'' and ''Danny Boy,'' and then an album of romantic ballads, and he began his frequent and continuing appearances with symphony orchestras from New York to Indianapolis to Berlin.

''This is where I make my money now,'' Mr. Rodriguez, 40, said on Wednesday. He never returned from his leave and resigned from the Police Department last year.

Mr. Rodriguez spoke by cellphone from the Ellipse in Washington, as he waited to go on stage to sing ''God Bless America'' in a pre-inaugural program.

So where is his career heading?

''Actually, a lot of people have been wondering what direction I'll take: Will I be a Broadway singer, an opera singer?'' he said. ''I hope to do it all.'' He will soon leave for Europe, he said, ''to meet people who feel they can develop my career there.''

He said Mr. Domingo told him that he had a ''voice that lends itself to many genres, and that when the time comes to make a decision, it will reveal itself.''

In any case, Mr. Rodriguez said, ''I'll always be singing, even if I go back to church basements.''

For Christmas Trees, A 2nd Life, in Pieces

You could be strolling through Central Park in July and the spirit of Christmas could be all around, though it would probably be news to you.

But the mulch at the base of that tree, or beneath those shrubs? Well, what do you think happens to those Christmas trees that are put out on New York City curbsides for collection in January -- or at least to many of them?

Since 1990, the Sanitation Department has urged people to discard their trees during specified periods each January. The trees collected are then delivered to the Parks and Recreation Department, which chips them into mulch to be used in the city's parks and community gardens to retain soil moisture and reduce erosion.

During this month's designated period, January 6 through 15, sanitation crews picked up 156,000 trees, which were recycled into 1,376 tons of mulch, the Sanitation Department said.

Many residents, of course, discard their trees outside the designated time, consigning them to the general run of garbage.

Then there are the recycling enthusiasts who personally delivered 8,500 trees to the Parks Department during its ninth annual ''mulchfest,'' held Jan. 8 and 9 in various parks. There were often chippers on the spot, so people could mingle their memories of a merry Christmas with the sight of merry mulchmaking.